FM14 A quiet Friday evening
by Miz Em
Summary: Granger Clan Saga oneshot. A Friday evening at the Granger house. Set after Peacekeepers and Fathers & Sons, with the triplets at age 16.


**A/N:** Granger Family Saga one-shot

A quiet Friday evening at the Granger house   
Set after Peacekeepers and Fathers & Sons, with the triplets at age 16. 

I know little to nothing about child neglect laws, please do not take what I've written as fact. It just fit in with what I think Colby would do. I also made it seem like the science fair project was only for those kids who are good in science. I don't think the kids really have a choice in whether or not they take part in it.  
----

"What's going on, Hannah?" Colby asked wearily. After a long, painful day chasing down leads and perps, he had looked forward to a quiet evening in Hannah's arms. But there were at least four bicycles that didn't belong to any of his five children, just strewn across the lawn.

"The triplets' science fair project," Hannah murmured softly in his ear. She slid her arms around him and just held him for a few minutes. She felt some of the tension ease as he rested his cheek against hers.

"Science Fair. My triplets? As in Tyler, Brandon and Cameron?" Colby was surprised.

"I hope you mean our triplets," Hannah said dryly, then nipped his earlobe for good measure.

He grinned, "If they win this Science Fair, they're my triplets. Who's on this Science Fair team?"

Hannah laughed, "Jonathan, of course. And Jerry Malloy from baseball. Oh, Darla's here to stay overnight with Keeley."

"I recognize that blue backpack. What's Mary Louise doing here?"

"Helping Verity with her math homework," Hannah said primly. Then laughed at the skeptical look on Colby's face. "Well, that's what she's doing now. I think she was hoping to spend some time with Cameron."

Colby shook his head in resignation. So much for a quiet Friday evening with Hannah. "All we're missing is Maggie, and everyone else will have their homes to themselves except us," he griped. He saw the look on Hannah's face and groaned, "No way. Is she on her way over?"

Hannah leaned into him and kissed him gently, "I figured it wouldn't hurt to have one more."

He sighed, "That's what everyone figures, Hannah. We've got five, what's one more. You have to say no some time."

She hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. She moaned softly as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding in to tease hers.

"What kind of example is that, Colby?" Don laughed as Colby raised his head and frowned. "Just dropping Maggie off. You sure it's alright?"

Colby grimaced and shrugged, "What's one more kid?"

----

Still, everyone managed to keep it down to a low roar. Colby wasn't sure what the girls were doing upstairs in Keeley's room, but he wouldn't be surprised if it involved clothes or makeup. Although, being daughters of FBI agents, they were just as likely to be cleaning a gun or discussing ballistics.

Verity and Mary Louise were working quietly at the dining room table, and the five boys were downstairs in the basement putting together some sort of a motor for the science fair. He'd warned them off the motorcycle and the car, and they had seemed satisfied when he gave them an old lawn mower to use for parts.

Colby heard Hannah yell for Keeley, and he rolled his eyes when the three girls clattered their way down the stairs into the kitchen. Mary Louise and Verity joined them in the kitchen and the sound of feminine laughter floated out into the den where he was and brought a smile to his lips. He groaned when Keeley screamed down into the basement for the boys. Then it sounded like a herd of elephants as the five boys stampeded up the stairs from the basement. Colby sighed and shook his head at Hannah, who was now standing at the doorway to the den.

She grinned at the long-suffering expression on his face. "Are you coming for dinner or are you just going to sit here and pretend to be a martyr?" She shrieked with laughter as he grabbed her and swung her up into his arms. He carried her into the dining room.

He laughed at the open-jawed looks on the kid's faces. At least, the kids who were there for the first time. Their own kids were used to it.

"They do that all the time," Cameron told Mary Louise. "Makes Mama laugh. Mama in a good mood is Dad in a good mood. And that's always good for the rest of us."

Colby sat down at the head of the table and marveled that Hannah had managed to squeeze everyone at that poor table they'd had since they were married. "What? No lasagna?" It was penne and meatballs. "Darla, Maggie, Jonathan, Jerry, and Mary Louise will be scarred for life."

"Stop it," Hannah laughed, "I didn't have enough time for lasagna."

"It's wonderful, Mrs. Granger," Mary Louise said softly, eyes wide with awe, "It would have been peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at my house."

Hannah looked startled.

"Does your mom not cook dinner, Mary Louise?" Cameron asked curiously.

"My mom died last year, and Daddy works all the time. Sandwiches and frozen dinners are pretty much what I manage for myself." Mary Louise looked up from her plate to find all eyes on her. "I'm sorry! I thought you knew. I'm used to it now."

"Well, you're welcome here any time, Mary Louise," Colby said gently.

But Hannah knew from the look in his eyes that he was going to have words with Mary Louise's father.

The conversation turned to the science project, and she exchanged amused looks with Colby. The triplets did well enough in school, but she would never have imagined them going in for a science fair project. She watched Jerry Malloy talking animatedly about the motor they were building and suddenly realized that it must have been Jerry's way of thanking Jonathan and the triplets for the baseball. The thought made her a little misty eyed. Hannah looked up when Colby touched her arm and smiled. She realized that he'd already figured it out. "Do you suppose he picked a motor because he knew the boys would already be familiar with working on your motorcycle and car?" she asked softly.

Colby shrugged, "I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me. Jerry's a smart kid. And it looks like he's going to include Mary Louise in the team as well."

"She's pretty smart. But I imagine she's a little lonely. Will you drop her off later tonight?"

"Yeah, I want to talk to her father."

----

The next few hours passed relatively quietly. Colby went down to the basement when he thought it was time for Mary Louise to go home, and was amused to see the lawn mower already stripped down to its parts and carefully placed around their work area.

"Time to break it up, kids. Jerry, Mary Louise, I'm going to take you home. I don't want you on your bicycles this late at night. Cameron, put their bikes on the bike rack, please. You can work on this project tomorrow."

He shook his head at the reluctant groans, amused at his boys' enthusiasm for a school-related project.

Colby stopped to chat with John Malloy when he dropped Jerry off. He liked both the quiet engineer and his son. He'd been pleased when the triplets had become friends with Jerry.

He frowned when he got to the Sorensen house and it was dark. "Where's your father, Mary Louise?"

"I think he's still at the office," she replied softly, looking worried. "I'm sixteen, Mr. Granger. I'm old enough to be by myself."

"Alright," Colby relented, "But call me if you get scared or anything." He walked her to the door, pleased that security lights came on. As Mary Louise unlocked the door, a car pulled into the driveway. "Is that your father's car, Mary Louise?"

"Yes, sir."

Terence Sorensen got out of his car quickly when he saw his daughter with a stranger. "Mary Louise, step away from him."

"Mr. Sorensen, I'm Colby Granger, the triplets' father." Automatically, Colby showed his badge.

Terence Sorensen relaxed a little, "Terence Sorensen."

"I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes, please." Colby said quietly

"Is Mary Louise alright?" Terence was alarmed.

"She's fine. She's still underaged and you could be charged for child neglect if you don't provide proper supervision." Colby watched as understanding dawned.

"I didn't... I'm sorry, I've just had a really difficult time dealing with things since..." Terence sighed.

"I understand," Colby's tone was gentle. "But you must do something about it. In the interim, she'll probably spend time at my home after school while the team is working on the science project. My wife or I will drop her off here when they're done, and I expect you to be here when we do. I also want to see improvement by the time the science project completed."

Terence nodded, and ran up to the door where Mary Louise was still standing. He hugged her and they waved as Colby drove off.

----

"Is everything okay for Mary Louise, Dad?" Cameron asked anxiously as Colby came in the door.

Colby smiled to see Cameron's concern. "She's fine, Cameron. Her father's just been busy."

"I'll look out for her. Night, Dad."

"Goodnight, son," Colby murmured, and surprised them both by pulling Cameron in for a hug. He grinned at the surprised look on Cameron's face. "Get to bed."

"Well, you're in a good mood," Hannah teased Colby as she watched Cameron run up the stairs to bed.

"Mmm, yeah, and I'm about to be in a better mood," Colby laughed as she tried to dodge him.

"That's what you think!" she retorted, then giggled when he caught up with her and picked her up. She looped her arms around his neck as he carried her up the stairs.

"So much for a quiet Friday evening."


End file.
